Imitation linen and process of making it



Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICARDO MIR-ET, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMITA'IION LINEN AND No' Drawing. Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to imitation linen andprocess of making it, and more particularly to a process of manufacturing and finishing cotton or similar goods in imitation of linen finish.

True linen goods have a characteristic appearance that distinguishes them from goods made of other vegetable fibres such as cotton, two of the distinguishing characteristics being that the linen fibre is smooth and not provided with outstanding fuzz or nap, and when manufactured into goods the linen will show slubs or bulblike enlargements in the yarn. Linen, moreover, has a tendency toward a yellowish appearance and is, therefore, not white like cotton, although this characteristic may be elimin ated to a large extent by bleaching. It is a difficult matter to eliminate the slubs from linen and it can probably only be done by increasing the expense of manufactrue, which would make the cost of the goods almost prohibitive. It may, therefore, be said that the presence of slubs in linen goods is a characteristic which is nearly always, if not always present.

Cotton is a fibre that may be spun into yarn without necessarily forming slubs; poor grades of cotton goods have a tendency toward the formation of slubs, though to a less degree than in linen goods, but the higher grades may he spun to avoid such a characteristic.

I i It is an object of this invention to so treat cotton and similarvegetable fibres, as to give it the appearance of linen in all respects, as nearly as possible. A further object of the invention is to spinand treatcotton fibers, particularly those of a low grade, so as to improve the quality thereof and markedly increase their tensile strength. A further object of the invention is to give to cotton goods the appearance of linen in one respect by laying down the nap or fuzz so as to make a uniform smooth fibre or yarn. Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter from aconsideration of the novel points set forth.

Although the invention may be described in various embodiments, and various combinations and sub-combinations of steps may be set forth, it is desired to describe in the following a preferred embodiment of the invention that produces highly desirable and advantageous results so that the resulting prodnot has the appearance of genuine linen, as nearly as that may be possible with cotton or similar goods.

PROCESS OF MAKING IT.

1923. Serial No. 645,358.

Accordingly cotton, having fibres preferably 7 8 of an inch long, is spun to manufacture the warp and fillings, and it is desired. n this operation to provide slubs in the yarn in order to imitate the slubs found in linen goods. If cotton of an inferior grade be used the spindle may be operated in the usual manner and slubs will then be formed in the course of the usual operation of spinning; on the other hand, if different fibres be used it may be desirable or necessary to provide the spindle with an irregular or an eccentric motion so as to manufacture slubs at regular intervals in th e yarn. hen the yarn is thus prepared 1l11S given a twist of 24 to 30 turns per inch in order to provide more resistance in the yarns and to lay down, preserve and unify the protruding fibres or nap. The warp should then be double starched or double sized with a potato starch, and the filling yarns should also be given a slight sta-rching. These operations are designed to make the cotton yarn smooth and without a nap thereon so that it will resemble linen as far as posslble at this stage of the operation.

After the yarn has been thus suitably prepared it is woven in any desired manner into goods and these are then bleached by boiling only 8 hours with the usual caustic soda bleach. It will be noted that the ordinary time for bleaching is at least 16 hours and some times longer, the purpose being to completely whiten the goods. By reducing the time of bleaching the fibre will not be weakened so much as in the old process, and the goods will have more the appearance of linen, since they will not be completely whitened.

The goods are now treated with a starching preparation comprising potato starch,

isinglass, and carnauba wax in proportions of starch, 10% isinglass, and 25% wax. These proportions may be varied widely according to the final product desired and the original material being treated. The starch is preferably potato starch (fecula); other. vegetable waxmay be substituted for the carnauba such as candelilla wax, cowtree wax, etc. This operation has the effect of still more smoothing down the individual yarns, and of incorporating a suitable material so that the subsequent operations may fully succeed in bringing out the appearance of linen fibres.

The goods should now be dried slowly either in a long drying chamber or in the open air; and when still slightly damp they may be completely dried between iron calenders at a temperature not higher than 150 F.

This operation may be followed, though not necessarily, by a heating operation which is accomplished with large flat relatively smooth stone plates, suspended in succession in the line of travel of the goods, so that every part will be acted upon. The beaters will be elevated and dropped through a distance of a centimeter or so in order to descend upon the fabric with considerable force. This operation aids in producing the appearance of linen.

The next and final operation consists in passing the goods between relatively smooth stone calenders composed of cylinders having different diameters, which are mounted so as to provide a high pressure of 40 to 50 tons across a fabric of about two yards width. or about 25 tons for one yard width. The cylinders are revolved in the same direction at their touching peripheries, in other words, clockwise and counter clockwise; and because of their different diameters one calender will have a slightly greater peripheral velocity than the other so that a slight slippage will occur over the goods as they pass between the calenders. This slippage will preferably amount to only a few percent in terms of different peripheral velocities, and it has an important function for it produces a smoothing or rubbing effect upon the goods at a high pressure and thereby gives them a linen finish. The presence of the starching preparation aids in accomplishing this effect in conjunction with the said smoothing pressure. calenders are not of highly polished. stone, that is they are not as smooth as glass, for example, but they have just enough roughness to produce the desired effect. It will be evident that other arrangements of cylinders may be made to provide different peripheral velocities and thereby produce a slippage at lgriglppressurc.

s a result of these operations the original cotton material has been made into a fabric very nearly like linen in appearance. It will have the same kind of slubs, the same smooth unified fibres, the same kind of color,-and at least an equal durability. The goods have the important quality that they possess a high resistance, that is they are hard to break by tearing or ripping; and they are very durable in use. In fact, it is possible by this process to take a low grade cotton and make it into a high grade fabric possessing much better qualities than ordinary high grade cotton goods possess, and having the additional advantage of resembling linen in appearance. It is furthermore an advantage under the present process to eliminate combing of cotton yarns such as is the practice in ordinary cotton manufacture, thus retaining the full strength of the fibre. Although the steps described mutually contribute toward the pro- The duction of goods imitating linen, it will be evident that some of the steps may be dis pensed with without sacrificing the essential character of the process, and it will also be apparent that the cotton may be manufactured without the production of slubs, so as to produce a high grade article having the appearance of linen minus slubs. The process may also be varied to produce high grade cotton goods having a superior resistance and durability and this could be done to imitate linen only to a certain degree.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the embodiments described except as defined in the following claims.

I claim 1. A process of treating cotton or similar material comprising treating it with a starching preparation, and then passing the goods between stone calenders mounted so as to provide a slight slippage, at a high pressure, said calenders being slightly rough on their surface to exert a slight gripping effect on the cotton.

2. A process of treating cotton or similar material comprising twisting the yarns, forming the goods from the yarns starching the cotton goods. and then passing them between stone calenders at a high pressure, said calenders being slightly rough on their surface to exert a slight gripping effect on the cotton. l

3. A process of treating cotton comprising spinning low grade cotton and twisting the yarns, forming the goods from the yarns treating them with a starcliing preparation, and then passing the cotton goods between stone calenders at a high pressure, said calen ders being slightly rough on their surface to exert a slight grip nng effect on the cotton.

4. A process of treating cotton comprising tlwisting cotton yarns. double starching the warp and slightly starching the filling, forming the goods from the yarns treating the goods with a starching preparation, and then subjecting them to a high pressure, said calenders being slightly rough on their surface to exert a slight gripping effect on the cotton.

5. 'A process of making imitation linen comprising spinning cotton to produce slubs in the yarn; weaving into goods and treating with a starching preparation; and then passing the goods between stone calenders mounted to provide a slight slippage, at a high pressure.

6. A process of making imitation linen comprising starching cotton goods with a starching preparation, and subjecting them to a high pressure between stone calenders having a slightly rough surface to exert a slight gripping effect on the cotton.

7. A process of making imitation linen comprising treating cotton goods with a starching preparation, and then subjecting them to a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width, said pressure being applied with a smoothing or rubbing etlect.

8. A process of making imitation linen comprising spinning cotton to produce slubs in the yarn, and then passing the cotton goods between stone calenders mounted to produce a smoothing or rubbing pressure.

9. A process of making imitation linen comprising treating cotton goods with a starching preparation comprising potato starch, isinglass, and carnauba wax, and then subjecting them to a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width.

10. The process of making imitation linen comprising treating cotton goods with a starching preparation comprising a starch, a gelatinous material, and a vegetable wax, and subjecting the goods to a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width.

11. The process of making in'iitation linen comprising treating cotton goods with a preparation comprising starch, isinglass, and a vegetable wax, and subjecting the goods between stone calenders to a high pressure with a slight slipping efiect, said pressure being over twenty tons per yard width.

12. A process of making imitation linen comprising spinning cotton to produce slubs in the yarn; treating the goods with a preparation of starch, isinglass, and a vegetable wax; heating with stone hammers; and pass ing the goods between relatively smooth stone ealenders at a high pressure.

13. A process of making imitation linen comprisingspinning cotton to produce slubs in the yarn; bleaching with caustic soda for about 8 hours; treating the goods with a preparation of starch, isinglass, and a vegetable wax; and passing them between stone calenders at a high pressure.

l t-A process of making imitation linen comprising spinning cotton to produce slubs in the yarn; twisting the yarns; bleaching with caustic soda for about 8 hours; treating the goods with a preparation of starch, isinglass, and vegetable wax; and subjecting them to a high pressure with a slipping etlect.

15. A process of making imitation linenw stone calenders at a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width with a slight slipping effect.

18. The step in the process of making imitation linen from cotton comprising passing he cotton. goods between stone calenders at a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width.

19. The step in the process of making imitation linen from cotton comprising subjecting the cotton goods to a high pressure of over twenty tons per yard width with a smoothing efiect.

20. A preparation for use in treating cotton goods comprising potato starch, carnauba.

wax, and isinglass.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of June, 1923. I

RICARDO MIRET. 

